Type of Exams

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Riara University offers various types of examinations in line with global best practices. These are categorized into two broad categories as illustrated below. However, it must be understood that the Riara University Senate may, at its discretion, designate and authorize the organization of other types of examinations at such times and in such manner as the Senate may deem appropriate based on legal requirements or prevailing circumstances.

1. Continuous assessments are forms of assessments done during the course of a semester, normally within the scheduled classes.
2. Continuous assessments can be given to individual students or groups of students and can take many forms including but not limited to: written tests, quizzes, projects, term papers, practical sessions, group work, and class presentations, among others.
3. Continuous assessments form part of the final performance/score/ grade of a student for that course and must therefore be completed as guided by the course instructor/lecturer/facilitator.
4. Individual course instructors, as well as Schools/Departments, determine the nature and number of assessments to be taken for each course.
5. The maximum number of marks that one can earn in continuous assessments, and their contribution to the overall grade of that course vary per programme and per course. However, each student is entitled to this information at the beginning of each course.
6. Results of continuous assessments are required to be made available to all students before the end of a semester and it is the right of every student to receive from the course instructor the results of the assessments, and any other feedback related to their performance in the assessments.
7. A student is not allowed to take the final end-of-semester examination of a course if they did not complete all the required continuous assessments and other requirements for that course within the timelines given.
8. In Project Based Learning and Assessment (PBLA), a student undertakes continuous assessments and final assessment in an integrated format through three main phases: Ideating – creating many ideas in ideation semesters; Prototyping – adopting a hands-on approach in developing the idea; and Testing – developing a prototype/solution to the problem and building lessons for life-long learning.

1. These are examinations taken at the end of each semester.
2. To be eligible for end-of-semester examinations, a student must have completed all course requirements, including but not limited to, class attendance, payment of full fees, and completion of all continuous assessments.
3. Some courses may be examined entirely on continuous assessments and hence may not require final examinations at the end of the semester.

1. Special examinations are examinations offered to students who are/were eligible to sit for an examination/assessment but missed it because of reasons beyond their control.
2. Special examinations are not offered to students who completed a course but obtained a grade of Fail, or those who missed other course requirements for reasons not proven to be beyond the control of the student.
3. Students wishing to be considered for special examinations are required to make a formal application to the Registrar -Academic by completing the Special Examinations Request Form obtainable from the University website, and to attach documentary evidence of the reasons that made them miss the examination/assessment.

        Pass

1. This encompasses all students who have successfully completed and passed all the courses they had registered for during that semester.
2. These students are free to register for other units offered in the subsequent semester.

       Fail

1. This refers to students who have failed at least one course for that semester.
2. Fail grade means a student has not obtained the pass mark for the course(s).
3. Such students are required to retake the failed unit as they register for other units in consultation with the School/Department.

       Incomplete

1. This refers to students who completed continuous assessments but not the end-of-semester examination/assessment.
2. Courses where a student has an end of semester examination mark but they never completed continuous assessments are also considered Incomplete.
3. Depending on the reasons for the incomplete, a student may be required to retake the incomplete course, or be allowed to sit for a special examination.